"Show me the (RFID) money!"

[sarongsong]

November 25, 2003 (http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9584_22-5111637.html)
"Applied Digital Solutions of Palm Beach, Fla., is hoping that Americans can be persuaded to implant RFID chips under their skin to identify themselves when going to a cash machine or in place of using a credit card...is running a special promotion, urging Americans to "get chipped." The first 100,000 people to sign up will receive a $50 discount."

[kucharek]

That's so bad in so many ways...

[Van Rijn]

November 25, 2003 (http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9584_22-5111637.html)
"Applied Digital Solutions of Palm Beach, Fla., is hoping that Americans can be persuaded to implant RFID chips under their skin to identify themselves when going to a cash machine or in place of using a credit card...is running a special promotion, urging Americans to "get chipped." The first 100,000 people to sign up will receive a $50 discount."

I corrected the year in the link above (shown in red) ... that story is two years old, and I know we discussed it on BABB. Interestingly, the links in the story to the company's web page don't work, and a quick look at their web pages doesn't seem to indicate they are pushing that idea these days. Methinks there was consumer resistance.

[genebujold]

I recall a meeting where a senior member (Colonel) of a large group of transportation officials in the U.S. Army expressed her frustration at the problems of tracking soldiers, and she finally ended her comment with, "when are we just going to chip 'em so we don't have to put up with this mess?"

After about two seconds of stunned silence, another colonel said, "What are you? Nuts? Do you realize how many lawsuits we'd have on our hands? I don't want to hear anything else about "chipping" people. Ain't gonna happen. That's what ID cards are for. Next topic!"

[sarongsong]

I corrected the year in the link above (shown in red) ... that story is two years old...Thanks, Van Rijn, was following this October 2004 news item, FDA approves injecting ID chips in patients (http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9584-5408223.html), and misread the year.

[LurchGS]

for my money, there ARE circumstances where chipping a human is a good idea - warzone, sexual predator or other habitual criminal. The important thing is that it be removable (the ones in pets are) or biodegradable after x amount of time, and not easily detectable by an unauthorized somebody trying to remove it.

It should be quiescent until queried, and detectable at a distance of 2 miles.

It should also be as close to indestructable as possible.

But, putting them in the general public - just a plain bad idea. Too easy to abuse

[genebujold]

Sorry, folks, but about 3 Billion of us on this planet Earth consider the idea to be in direct violation of our religious beliefs.

There are other ways to RFID humans, including ID cards, wrist bands, etc.

Whether you make it mandatorially subcutaneous or not makes little difference, as it's nothing a pocket knife, a tablespoon of alcohol, and five minutes can't cure.

[Gillianren]

Sorry, folks, but about 3 Billion of us on this planet Earth consider the idea to be in direct violation of our religious beliefs.

You got a cite for that? I'd hazard that far, far fewer than 3 billion people have even thought about it.

[genebujold]

Sorry, my bad - it's 2.1 Billion, not 3 Billion: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_religions

[genebujold]

Wow. That was scary. I just added up the numbers from all the religions given in Wikipedia and came up with 6.66666 Billion, to that decimal place.

Yikes!

[Van Rijn]

If the government tried to make an implant mandatory, you would have both the folks interpreting Revelations and the Civil Libertarians after your hide.

[Van Rijn]

Sorry, my bad - it's 2.1 Billion, not 3 Billion: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_religions

But of that number, not all are going to interpret Revelations the same way.

[Van Rijn]

Thanks, Van Rijn, was following this October 2004 news item, FDA approves injecting ID chips in patients (http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9584-5408223.html), and misread the year.

Getting away from the money chip, does anyone have a problem with this idea? That is: A voluntary medical RFID? It might (emphasis on "might") be a way to get medical treatment faster to those who need it.

[Gsquare]

Sorry, folks, but about 3 Billion of us on this planet Earth consider the idea to be in direct violation of our religious beliefs.

There are other ways to RFID humans, including ID cards, wrist bands, etc.

Whether you make it mandatorially subcutaneous or not makes little difference, as it's nothing a pocket knife, a tablespoon of alcohol, and five minutes can't cure.

Good point Gene; I'm glad there is someone here with some common
sense (and hopefully there will be more with the moral character to say NO).

Give these guys an inch in terms of letting go of your personal rights in the name of 'greater security & personal safety', and before you know it you will have no personal privacy at all. Americans for sure abhor this type of intrusion on our personal rights OR ANYTHING THAT COULD EASILY LEAD TO IT, AND RIGHTFULLY SO.

I'm sure Hitler and Stalin would love to have had RFID. Its a small step from saying, "Oh, its just for the criminals" to enacting a law "requiring ALL Americans to have RFID for 'the security of the nation'".

No thanks.... I'm not 'buying' it ....even if its required to to get your free government subsidy and food stamps.
I'll get along just fine without that nonsense.

Gsquare
.

[Gillianren]

Hey, I'll go for the one with my medical records on it--if they'd all fit.

[LurchGS]

Gillianren - actually, a friend and I are working on something along those lines.. but it won't be an implanted chip...

Gene, et al - I didn't say I *supported* it, just that it would be a good idea in a danger zone (Iraq comes immediately to mind - duh). If the individual is captured, the query tool in an overflying aircraft could locate it and, thus, guide rescue units.
In addition, if an individual gets wounded or killed on the battlefield, the chip could be used to locate the wounded/remains...

When the individual is released from the combat/danger zone, since we installed it, we would remove it.

-----

I am not a number!

[kucharek]

I'm sure Hitler and Stalin would love to have had RFID. Its a small step from saying, "Oh, its just for the criminals" to enacting a law "requiring ALL Americans to have RFID for 'the security of the nation'".
We have no problems with id cards in Germany, but no government would dare to ask people for implementing RFID tags or similar stuff. We tagged people in concentration camps with tatoos and todays Hitlers would be to happy to use RFID technology. Have everyone to carry one and then you can select as you want. Personal RFID tags are a technology too easy to abuse.

[sarongsong]

February 12, 2006 (http://news.ft.com/cms/s/ec414700-9bf4-11da-8baa-0000779e2340.html)
"...the first known case in which [two] US workers have been “tagged” electronically as a way of identifying them...around 70 people in the US have had the implants..."